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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · ruler · coach · net · stick · snap · bear · track

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. track — a song
  5. lie — to recline
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. net — for catching
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. net — in sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. snap — to click
  12. net — after costs
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com